History

1921

David Dunlap attends a public talk on comets and introduces himself to the lecturer, Dr. Clarence Chant (above), founder of the U of T’s Department of Astronomy.

1863 – 1924

David Alexander Dunlap

1926

David Dunlap’s widow Jessie Donalda Dunlap makes a donation in memory of her husband to build Chant’s dream and ambition: an astronomical observatory.

May 31, 1935

The David Dunlap Observatory (DDO) opens in Richmond Hill. The observatory’s 1.9-metre (74-inch) telescope is second largest in the world.

From 1935 to the 90s

John Percy, professor emeritus, on the history of the DDO.

Observatory to Institute

Over the decades, the light pollution of Richmond Hill encroaches upon the DDO. At the same time, large observatories are built by international collaborations in locations like Hawaii and northern Chile. Prof. Peter Martin becomes director of the DDO and begins discussions with the Dunlap family to continue their grandparent’s legacy.

2008

An endowment fund is established through the sale of observatory property in Richmond Hill, and the Dunlap Institute is founded on the St. George campus of the U of T. It joins the university’s Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics and Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics.